Smartphones have become an essential part of our daily lives, serving as indispensable tools for various tasks. As per a study conducted by Statista from 2019 to 2022, there was a notable surge of around 46 percent in the time spent by global users on mobile apps. This increasing reliance on smartphones is evident, with countless applications available for almost every imaginable activity. Given the extensive choices users have, it’s crucial that your app functions without a hitch. Otherwise, users might opt for alternative apps.
Making sure your app does what it’s supposed to is non-negotiable, and that’s where thorough testing comes in. This crucial step is all about spotting any functionality issues, bugs, or other defects before you let your app loose on the public. In the market, there are numerous platforms dedicated to online mobile app testing. But before diving into them, it’s essential to understand what is mobile app testing.
What is Mobile App Testing?
Mobile testing involves the examination of mobile applications to assess their functionality, usability, and performance. This is achieved through the utilization of tools or open-source frameworks. Given the constant evolution of smartphones, tablets, and PCs and constant changes in devices such as the iPhone, mobile testing has become indispensable. It serves as a methodical approach to detecting bugs and errors, enabling development teams to deliver applications of high quality.
Top Mobile Testing Platforms To Look out For in 2024
Navigating the vast number of testing platforms available in the market can be a daunting task, given the multitude of options available. To assist you in making informed decisions, let’s delve into an exploration of some of the top testing platforms that can streamline and enhance the testing phase for mobile applications.
1. TestGrid
TestGrid emerges as a comprehensive solution, empowering high-velocity teams worldwide to conduct both manual and automated mobile app testing on real iOS and Android devices. TestGrid facilitates test automation with appium, allowing you to set up and test your mobile apps easily using your local Appium code. Let’s explore the key features that make TestGrid a trusted choice for testing in real-world conditions.
Key Features:
- Real Devices, Real Results: Test on a diverse range of real Android and iOS devices, considering factors like battery life, network strength, and lighting conditions. Access hundreds of real devices on-demand, hosted on the cloud, on-premise, or in a hybrid setup.
- Scriptless Automation Powered by AI: Write and execute automated tests effortlessly with TestGrid’s scriptless automation, leveraging AI to reduce testing time. Automate testing across various platforms, including mobile, web, custom hardware, and IoT.
- Comprehensive Testing Capabilities: Perform functional, API, visual testing, and cross-browser testing and get performance metrics on a single platform. Experience codeless automation for end-to-end testing.
- User-Friendly Gestures Testing: Interact with remote devices as if they were physical, testing hand gestures like zooming, swiping, scrolling, and more. Test realistic swipe gestures, pinch-to-zoom, and other touch-enabled interactions.
- Efficient Bug Identification and Resolution: Find and fix bugs instantly, allowing you to test early and launch with confidence. Ensure smooth user experiences by addressing issues before they impact your app’s performance.
- Flexible Configuration and Support: Set up device location, timezone, Wi-Fi, carrier/SIM settings, and VPN connections for comprehensive testing scenarios. Validate applications in both portrait and landscape orientations, ensuring proper functionality in diverse usage contexts.
2. Eggplant:
Eggplant, developed by TestPlant and now part of Keysight, is an automated mobile testing tool that utilizes machine learning and artificial intelligence to shift from manual to automated testing for rapid mobile application release.
Key Features:
- AI-Driven Testing: Eggplant employs machine learning and AI for UI testing, utilizing optical character recognition (OCR) and computer vision to ensure accurate and reliable testing.
- Scriptless Models and Analytics: The AI-driven approach uses scriptless models and analytics, streamlining the test automation process.
- Integration with CI/CD Tools: Eggplant integrates with CI/CD tools like Azure DevOps and GitHub Actions, facilitating automated testing within the development pipeline.
- Comprehensive View of Application Performance: The platform provides a comprehensive view of application performance across cloud services, mobile devices, and desktops.
3. Selendroid:
Selendroid is a mobile test automation framework focusing on automating the UI of Android native, hybrid applications, and mobile web applications. Leveraging the Selenium 2 client API it simplifies test script development.
Key Features:
- Testing for Native and Hybrid Android Apps: Selendroid supports testing for both native and hybrid Android applications, providing a versatile testing environment.
- Built-in Inspector: Selendroid includes a built-in inspector, simplifying the process of writing automation scripts by eliminating the need to modify the application.
- UI Element Inspection: The framework supports UI element inspection, allowing testers to check the current UI elements of the app for streamlined test script development.
- Simulated User Gestures: Selendroid can simulate user gestures like touch, swipe, drag, and drop, enabling comprehensive testing of user interactions.
4. Katalon:
Katalon is a modern, comprehensive quality management platform that aids teams in delivering good digital experiences. Katalon Studio eliminates the need to build a test automation framework from scratch, offering low-code methods for efficient test creation.
Key Features:
- Image-Based Testing: Katalon performs image-based testing, allowing testers to capture and locate visual elements for improved accuracy in test execution.
- Mobile Recorder: The mobile recorder in Katalon generates tests automatically, storing all UI elements for reuse in subsequent test runs.
- Local and Remote Execution: Tests can be executed locally and remotely on real devices, simulators, or cloud-based devices, providing flexibility in test execution.
- Integration with CI/CD Tools: Katalon integrates with tools like CircleCI, Github, and more, reducing test maintenance efforts.
- Multi-Language Support: The tool supports various programming languages, including JavaScript, Python, C++, and C#.
5. Appium:
Appium has gained popularity as an open-source mobile testing tool favored by developers and testers. It allows the creation of test cases for multiple platforms using the same API, supporting Android versions from 2.3 onwards.
Key Features:
- Cross-Platform Testing: Appium is a versatile testing tool, capable of automating mobile, web, native, hybrid, and desktop apps, making it a preferred choice for cross-platform testing.
- Continuous Integration: It seamlessly integrates into existing CI/CD pipelines for logical automation, ensuring a smooth testing process within the development pipeline.
- Extensibility with Appium 2: Appium 2 introduces plugins that extend server functionality without altering the server code, enhancing flexibility.
- Visual Debugging with Appium Inspector: The Appium Inspector allows visual debugging of automated tests, aiding both beginners and experienced testers in identifying and fixing issues.
Conclusion
Mobile app testing involves a systematic examination of applications, ensuring their functionality, usability, and performance across various devices. Mobile testing helps in delivering high-quality applications that meet user expectations.
TestGrid stands as a testament to the evolving landscape of mobile app testing, offering a holistic solution that caters to the varying requirements of high-velocity development teams worldwide. TestGrid’s advanced solutions elevate your testing process, making it easier, faster, and more effective.
